Scattered Image
by Sangelide
Summary: Edward Elric is doomed to live an interesting life. The unusual is part of a typical day for the Elric brothers. But this time, the gate really knew how to mess with a guy's head.
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

Pain. Darkness.

_Choose. Choose. Choose._

This was wrong. Something important had been forgotten. If he could think, he'd figure it out.

_Choose. Choose. Choose._

The murmur of sound continued. He didn't understand. Choose what?

_Choose. Blood was given. Life was given. We were called. Choose. Choose._

The chorus of voices went on and on. Pain rolled over him. Darkness covered him. He couldn't think, could barely remember. Choose what?

_Choose. The circle was bent, not broken. We were called. Choose. Choose._

The darkness shivered. Beyond the pain, hands grasped him. Dozens. Hundreds. Thousands. The number changed nothing. They poked, caressed, wiggled and squirmed, pushed and pulled – but always touched. Fear formed behind his confusion. Choose what?

_Choose. The circle was bent, not broken. Choose. Choose._

The demand repeated. The hands touched. The pain throbbed. A minute, an hour or an eternity passed before he remembered. A large cobble stone floor covered in crisp chalk lines.

His tattered mind conjured another stone floor. It felt deep and hidden, made with a circle of blood. His blood. A third circle flashed by him: dark ink with glowing red cylinders of liquid at seven points. Alchemy.

_Choose. Choose. Choose._

Alchemy. Three steps: analysis, deconstruction, and reconstruction. Reconstruct what?

_Choose. Blood was given. Life was given. Choose. Choose._

Blood? Life? His blood? His life? No. He had a vague memory of a scaled serpent, pinned by spears in a circle. An ancient castle fell apart, weakened by forbidden alchemy. Forbidden… human transmutation?

_Choose. Is this the choice? Choose. Choose._

No! Human transmutation was forbidden. They knew that. Al suffered because of his sin… but Al had his body now. No recollection of their journey, but his brother had a body. If only he could be in Amestris to enjoy it. But the German gate needed to be sealed.

_Choose. Is this the choice? Choose. Choose._

No. He already chose to return. Another sacrifice in many. Thinking slowed once more. The hands continued their invasion. The voices persisted in their demand. He just wanted to be home. To thank Winry for the new automail. To see Granny Pinako. To see Teacher and Hawkeye and the rest… even the bastard Colonel. He wanted to see his brother's body; to stay in Amestris.

_Choose. Is this the choice? Choose. Choose._

The choice. He supposed it was. Just leave him alone. Being a dog of the military was fine, as long as he was home, with Al, in his body. He remembered his brother, aged a few years with long hair pulled back in a pony tail. Nothing else matter save he keep hold of that image.

_Blood was given. Life was given. We were called._

He didn't care anymore. He would give more than his blood or life. Just send him home.

_The choice is made. The price is set._

The hands shifted, slithered, _moved. _Darkness changed to light; burning, blinding light.

"Ah! Just as I thought you left, you came back." One voice filled with many laughed at him. He squinted, trying to place where he was. A white figure, barely discernable from the white world smiled. "You might regret coming back you know. It's your home, but you might not think so."

A creaking door was his only warning. The hands returned, one by two by a dozen. Hundreds were touching, pulling dragging. The voices called out, but no words could be understood. Every part of his body felt like it was being torn apart. He tried to scream.

"Major Elric!"

Voices called, but they weren't _the_ voices. He followed the sound; willed himself to find them.

"Major Elric!"

A worried female voice clashed with the strong muscular arms that lifted him. The pain increased. The need to know where, who – anything; kept him from falling into darkness once more. Gold eyes flinched at the dim light. Beyond the worried voices were explosions and a deep rumble. He remembered a large stone room that collapsed on him.

The arms moved and he suppressed a whimper. Squinting revealed a dimly lit room with crumbling walls. A broken suit of armor lay on the ground next to a carved transmutation circle he'd never seen before. Then his sight was blocked by a sculpted back. Trying not to pass out took priority over the confusion.

Each shift of the large body beneath him resonated through every nerve. Sound and reason faded. He pushed down the pain and focused on the coppery tang of blood in his mouth. He didn't care how it got there. It was the only constant he had to keep the darkness away.

More blood filled his mouth as he bit back voicing his pain when he was grabbed and lowered to the ground. Nothing felt right. His clothes scrapped at his skin. The air stung. The cold cement beneath him burned. And the hands...

Hands were trying the sooth taunt muscles and familiar voices spoke to him. His mind told him it wasn't _the_ hands. It wasn't _the_ voices. But instinct drove him to flee. An attempt to do so multiplied the shooting pain that permeated his entire being.

Unable to speak without screaming, he glared at the hands touching him. A few stopped, but a barked command ordered them to continue. Shifting his glare, he was unsurprised to see Hughes' stern face. Whether his old friend or his new German acquaintance; both versions were born to irritate him. He sometimes believed it was the only trait the two had in common besides Gracia. One pair of hands hit a sensitive spot were metal met flesh. He changed the instinctive whimper into a growl.

"Stop it," he forced through gritted teeth. Every hand paused at his voice. The lack of movement allowed him to relax enough to push more words through a clenched jaw. "Don't touch."

His horse voice gave out into violent coughs. There was no time to be grateful for the hands leaving him. He tried to make his lungs work right. The muscled arms came back when he succeeded in reducing the full body convulsions to small continuous bursts.

A glass pushed against his closed mouth. Short sips of water quieted the remaining cough. Sitting up, he found his automail arm responded better than his real one. The muscled arms were removed bringing a wave of relief. He still felt the phantom of those invisible hands. A shudder ran through him at the memory and was echoed back by pain.

Instinct and memory guided his actions. He needed to think, needed the control he was used to. He trusted those strong arms that came and went, that carried him away from that dark ink circle. That familiar female voice was still out there, even if he couldn't understand the words yet. No matter what version of Hughes it was, they both looked out for him. He could afford to turn inwards.

'Focus on breathing, ignore the world, find your center.' One of the first lessons his teacher had given; the only reason he made it through his automail surgery without screaming.

Inch by inch his body relaxed. The pain was soothed, or reduced. Without the encompassing pain, reason came back. For the first time since he left that place, he felt free.

"Ed. Ed. _Ed_." The repeated voice reminded him of the insistent voices. Gold eyes slit open in a dark glare. Hughes's face hovered in front of his and he added a scowl.

"What," he snapped. The relief that crossed the man's face was completely unexpected.

"Are you okay?" The gentle tone was alarming, as was the realization that the voices he had peripherally noticed were silent. With widening eyes he examined the Hughes in front of him. Intent jade eyes – filled with determination, not indecision. The man wore the military blue of Amestris, not the dark German police uniform.

A quick scan produced many of Amestris military scattered about the rubble strewn courtyard – including Lieutenant Ross and her partner. Major Armstrong sans shirt stood behind Hughes. Judging by the twinkle in his eyes, a valiant pose, complete with pink sparkles, was ready to be given at any moment. Dread settled in his gut as he caught sight of Fuhrer Bradley in a tight short sleeved undershirt that complimented his black eye patch.

"Ed." Hughes brought his attention back. "Are you okay?" he repeated. Looking at his old friend – the friend that died years ago – there was only one answer.

"You know… I don't think I am."

Jade eyes widened, Armstrong's twinkle disappeared and Ross squatted to feel his forehead for fever. The moment those fingers contacted his skin he jerked back in terror. Something soft, firm and warm impeded his flight. A crimson cloak covered the small form of his younger brother. Glancing at himself, he realized he was still wearing the tattered clothes from Germany.

"I apologize for my actions sir." The blonde caught the tail end of her quick formal bow. She left no time for him to absorb this new information. "Where are you hurt? Can we… Why does touch harm you?"

The woman was more overbearing than he remembered. A fond smile graced his lips. It had been far too long since he had been stressed over. Even Alfons, as worried as he'd get, would stay within the bounds society set; never crossing that line. It made him miss Al all the more.

"Ed. Ed. Are you still with us Ed?" He shook his head as his friend violated his invisible personal bubble. The Lt. Colonel never seemed to notice it before, why start now? After all, what could he do to a dead man? Edward Elric had done many thing in his life, including living two years in a world not his own. This situation was the strangest by far.

Marveling at the incongruity of it all, he replied, "I have to wonder. I think this is a dream."

"A dream? Why do you think that?" Hughes was as good as he remembered. If the man was confused or upset, no one would know by looking at him. Even his voice was back to his typical calm tone. It helped.

Coughing slightly, Edward sat back up, being careful of Al lying behind him. "Too many things. But you don't feel pain in a dream… right?" He ignored the Lt. Colonel's reply to concentrate on his brother's still form. A visual check produced no injuries despite the worn clothes. The steady rise and fall of his chest was comforting. "How's Al?"

He looked at Hughes to find narrowed eyes studying the body behind him. "Sleeping. We'll know more at the hospital, but we saw nothing but a few bruises." Their eyes met. "You were different. What happened?"

He coughed again, debating if anyone would believe he hadn't the slightest clue. Salvation came in the form of a new glass of water. He nodded in thanks to Armstrong and took his time sipping the water. With the pain down to a dull burn, exhaustion was setting in. Every muscle felt like he had worked them hard and then pushed a little more.

"Where are we?" he asked. Knowing the current situation, might lead him to how he got here.

"The 5th laboratory," his friend answered. Ed hummed his agreement, trying to place the location. "Central City," Hughes elaborated with a touch of humor. Glaring at the man, he recalled the lab he had investigated after cracking Dr. Marco's research notes. An armored soul like his brother's had fought him before he met that bastard Tucker as a chimera.

He frowned. The homunculi had revealed their existence and tried to make him create the philosopher's stone. They threatened Al, but he couldn't do it… how had he gotten out again?

"Ed? Do you remember?" Hughes used that gentle voice again. The young alchemist decided he didn't like it.

"No," he answered curtly. The grimace he earned made him feel guilty. "Not really. It's all mixed up."

"What's the last thing you recall clearly?" A short bark of laughter escaped him at his dead friend's question. How what he supposed to answer that? "Ed?" The Lt. Colonel was definitely worried. Giving him a small reassuring smile only increased the visible concern on the man's face.

The truth would be best. Not the whole truth, but he had to start somewhere, even if it was a dream. "I can't even tell you. I remember things: people, places… research. I just don't know how they all line up at the moment." Confused looks were his only reply.

"Look," he stated. "I know I'm Edward, that's Al-" He jabbed a finger at his brother. "You're Hughes, Armstrong, and Ross," he pointed at heat in turn. "I know where Central City is," he gave a dark look at the Lt. Colonel. "I even remember a bit about the 5th laboratory." They finally started looking a little relieved.

"I know I'm sitting here and I really don't want to be touched yet. The pain – wherever it came from – is better, and all I really want to do is sleep." He held up a hand to cut off Hughes's comment. "Yeah, I figured I wouldn't be able to… but I can't really help much. The only things I remember don't seem believable, and nothing is making sense to me right now." He sighed and scrubbed his face with his true hand.

"I don't think anything needs immediate attention…" He trailed off as something started to nag at him. "Ah!" Major Armstrong and Lt. Colonel Hughes were the only ones not to jump at Ed's exclamation. "Actually…" He thought for a moment to verify his information. "If I remember right, there's a bunch of chimera in there. A lot were human before… we should find a way to turn them back." The sudden idea diverted his original thought as he remembered Nina. That stretch lady that Al helped didn't seem too bad either. Tucker on the other hand… maybe he could be the test subject. No reason to help that bastard.

"Major Elric." Armstrong's commanding voice brought him back to the here and now, even if he didn't quite know where and when that was.

"Yeah?" He noticed they had all gone back to looking worried. Had he missed something?

"Do not worry about the chimera. Are there any other dangers we should know of?" Ed rummaged through hazy memories. He couldn't mention the homunculi, and the armored soul was already destroyed. Wait, there had been another. Didn't Al fight that one?

"The guards were in armor like Al's." Looking back at his brother, he realized his mistake. "Well, like Al before. When he was in armor… He used to be in armor, right?" It suddenly seemed rather obvious that he couldn't count on his memories. Had Al ever lost his body in this strange place?

"Yes. Until now," Hughes answered. Even confused, Ed could tell the Lt. Colonel was dying to ask more questions. Instead, the dark haired man turned to the others and started giving orders.

Lieutenant Ross crouched down next to him after being charged with his protection once more. "Are you hurt Major Elric?"

Snorting at the woman's formality, he shook his head. "No, not until you smack me for being an idiot. I'd rather you wait until I get a good night's sleep." Her eyes widened in alarm at his comment.

"I don't believe the Lieutenant would be so neglectful of her duties to harm the one she's protecting, Major." The low cheerful voice of the Fuhrer banished the lethargy that had set in. "I'm glad to see you and your brother unharmed."

Ed started at his clenched fists. There was no right way to respond to the man he believed to be his enemy. Every memory of the Fuhrer had been raked through. There had been no signs; he still couldn't see how his commander-in-chief had been a homunculus. But he trusted Al's word. It made him sick to remember that this was the man that had started the brothers on the path of the philosopher's stone.

"Sir!" His two bodyguards had no difficulty saluting the man. The smiling Fuhrer continued by without waiting for Ed to decide his course of action. With the danger pass, relief flooded his system. Willpower alone kept him from immediate collapse.

"Major Elric!" Lieutenant Ross had noticed his slumped form and he could tell she wanted nothing more than to help steady him.

"You think it's alright for me to sleep now?" The lazy grin he gave her received a sad smile in return.

"I doubt anyone would mind." Permission granted, Ed tilted to the side and enjoyed the feel of cold cement beneath him. Could someone fall asleep in a dream?

Author's Note: It's been very slightly altered from the original posting to fit the new plot line. Kudos to those that recognize the changes.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

"Feeling better sir?" The doctor had come and gone. Edward Elric was declared physically fit save a few scrapes and bruises. The pronouncement didn't help his state of mind at all.

"Just fine Lieutenant," he answered. Sergeant Brosh had already taken his post in the hall. Ross needed personal reassurance of his health.

"Do you remember now?" The woman didn't pull her punches either. While the doctor was satisfied with his positive answer, his body guard knew him better.

"It's better. Just slightly off." It had been bothering him all morning. The facts he observed weren't lining up. He wasn't ready to answer questions about it. Seeing the Lieutenant bite her lip in worry, he tried to find a way to avoid the interrogation. Women were scary when they wanted something. "Maybe you can help."

She straightened to attention. "Of course sir." It was a wonder she didn't salute at the suggestion.

"Can you give me a quick outline from the time you met us?" She looked startled at his request but he didn't care. If this wasn't a dream he needed to know what it was.

"We met you in front of the First Branch Library and took over your protection from Major Armstrong due to Scar targeting you. The library had been destroyed, but thanks to Miss Scieszka's efforts you obtained a copy of Dr. Marco's research notes. You and your brother worked at Central Library until you had deciphered his notes. We then retired to your hotel room and discussed your findings with Major Armstrong. Last night you and your brother snuck out to investigate the abandoned 5th laboratory, despite direct orders to wait for Major Armstrong's investigation due to political issues." The alchemist could hear her displeasure through the professional tone.

"We contacted the Major and planned an immediate investigation and rescue team. He contacted Lt. Colonel Hughes and put together a team for search and rescue of a possible kidnapping. The Fuhrer learned of it and sent a platoon under Major Armstong's command to support us. Both of you were found in one of the basement rooms. The Lt. Colonel and Major are still on site."

Most of what she said, he remembered. The problem was this happened a few months before he went through the gate. Was this his past? It could be a third world. One that was similar but not exact to his Amestris.

No. A stab of pain hit the blonde as he remembered Alfon's death. The crazy lady responsible for the entire ordeal had been shot by German Hughes before he discovered his brother had followed him through the gate.

Wait! Biting his lip, he remembered the surprise seeing his brother crawl out of a suit of armor. The Elrics had started to deactivate the array when the castle collapsed. The image of Alphonse crushed under stone stole the older Elric's breath.

Sliding out of bed, Ed took the two steps to reach the second bed in the room. A trembling hand touched the warm cheek of his sleeping brother. Reassurance lifted the stifling weight of grief even as confusion returned.

"Major Elric?" He waved off the Lieutenant's concern as he returned to his bed. The two years in England and Germany felt real. Small scars on his true hand testified of countless work on a possible rocket design. But even if he had lived it, how was Al whole and well? And why the time change?

_Blood was given. Life was given._

The words came unwilling to his mind. The time in darkness was blurred with a few moments of clarity. He had believed his blood and life had been given.

_The circle was bent, not broken._

Envy in serpent form falling towards him from the broken upper level of the castle room was his last clear memory of Germany. Had they produced a different alchemic response from the gate rather than deactivate the array?

"_You might regret coming back you know. It's your home, but you might not think so."_

There were too many variables and not enough facts. No matter how he ended up here, or where here was, he would continue on. It would be far better than a world without Al. "Where's Colonel Mustang?"

"In East City sir," was the prompt reply.

"Is Scar still…" He didn't know how to finish. Killing? Safe? Free? Alive?  
"There has been no sighting of Scar since the underground explosion in East City, sir. We suspect he may have been killed, but nothing conclusive had been found." There was a question left unsaid, but Edward declined to answer.

"Before I reached Central, where was I?" That caught her off guard.

"You arrived on the east bound train sir. Major Armstrong could provide more information." Concern had entered her voice again.

"Ah. Don't worry Lieutenant," he flashed a smile. "We came from Riesenbol. It's our hometown and where my mechanic lives." Gesturing at his automail arm, he wondered what he was going to tell Winry. These limbs were new, but he doubted she or Granny Pinako would remember making them.

"I think I'm in the clear," he continued. "Everything I've asked since your timeline were only to confirm my own memories." He chuckled when the ever proper Lieutenant's shoulders slumped in relief. "Any minute now Hughes will storm in with pictures of Elysia and demand a report. I'll be fine until then." It wasn't an order, but Ross understood the dismissal.

"Sir," she saluted. Just before she left the room, she glanced over her shoulder. "It's good to see you safe sir."

The greeting gave the young alchemist a warm feeling. He was back. Timeline and Al's body aside, it felt like home. Europe never did. The pleasant feeling overwrote his worries and lingering confusion. Closing his eyes, he lay down and enjoyed the moment.

"Ed. Ed." Bolting upward, he almost smacked heads with Lt. Colonel Hughes. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, the alchemist apologized. "Don't worry about it. How are you doing Edward?"

He winced at the use of his full name. This man could see lies a mile away and seemed to know the blonde was hiding information. Thanks to his impromptu nap, the blonde hadn't decided what he'd tell him. A timely stomach growl gave him an answer. "Hungry."

Hughes chuckled as he went to the door to request a meal. Watching his once dead friend felt odd. He had seen the man's twin in Germany nearly everyday for the past year. But German Hughes didn't have the same presence of Amestris Hughes. Seeing the dead man's characteristic cheer created a deep ache in his chest.

"You'll never guess what Elysia did the other day! Being stuck in that stuffy library made you miss the most wonderful accomplishment of my darling girl." Photo after photo was shoved in his face. The bombardment left him dazed as he drank in the image of a little girl he didn't think he'd ever see again.

His meal arrived and the photos on his lap were whisked away in favor of a food tray. The stew blurred as he tried to keep tears from falling. He was 18 year old. There was no way he was going to break down just because of a few photos and annoying stories.

A hand tentatively touched his left shoulder. He didn't flinch. "Ed?" Maes Hughes had never sounded so hesitant. Looking up, he blinked a few times only to discover the man's soft gaze, filled with concern. There was no pity or disappointment. Edward broke.

Silent sobs shook his body as he curled up to hide. Only Hughes's quick actions saved his lunch. In no time at all he was engulfed in a warm hug that made his tears fall faster.

"Shh… It's okay Ed. Shh… You'll be fine. Just let it out. Everyone needs a moment sometimes. It's okay," Hughes murmured in his ear. He could only shake his head as he clutched the man's shirt, feeling the solid body beneath it.

It was real.

After the tears dried, Ed stayed still as Hughes rubbed circles on his back. Logic was returning. This couldn't be true; and if it was there had to be a catch. Equivalent exchange, right?

"What happened Ed?" The man made no effort to move, but didn't resist when Ed pulled away. Running his true hand across his face and through his hair, the blonde sighed.

"I don't know whether to tell you or not," he finally conceded. Hughes didn't object right away. He just waited for more information. "It still doesn't make sense in some ways, but there's enough to worry about without adding in the confused bit."

"Why don't you start at the beginning and we can work it out together," the man offered after a moment of thought.

Ed leaned against the headboard and closed his eyes. If he was really in the past, he wasn't even 16 yet. Hughes would never deliberately let Ed know anything dangerous. Heck, the man hadn't even told Mustang last time before he was killed.

"One problem with that," he started, pinning the Lt. Colonel with a serious gaze. "Either you believe me and track the proof down and get killed, or you write me off as crazy and I'll be on the run from everyone I care about – because they think I need help." That last word had more than a little bite to it. Being a crack-pot young scientist in England had not been fun. He had trusted his new friends with the true reason of his study and only Hohenheim's help had kept him from being locked up before he learned to shut up.

"I don't think you're crazy Ed. Even last night, your eyes were clear until the end. There's no glint of madness there." The blonde snorted in amusement. "All I see is a friend that could use some help. No matter what you tell me, trust in that." Those narrow jade eyes never wavered and the young alchemist couldn't help but grin at the invitation.

"I heard no mention of you diving too deep and getting killed."

"Ah," was all Hughes would say.

Shaking his head, Ed thought about everything he could say. The Fuhrer is most likely as homunculus. So is his secretary. Three other homunculi were trying to make him create the philosopher's stone, last night or two years ago. All the wars you bled and cried for were started just to make ingredients for a stone. Everything changed when the Lt. Colonel died.

Somber now, the alchemist couldn't take the chance. "I trust you with my life Hughes." He caught his friend's eyes. "I'd trust you with my brother's life." The man nodded in acknowledgement of that trust.

"I also trust that you'd be careful with your own life, but risk it all the same if I even give you a hint." The older Elric wasn't sure how Hughes would react, but the dark frown that crossed the man's face wasn't surprising.

"If it's that bad, I need to know Ed. Your smart and I know your only trying to protect me. But I've been an investigator longer than you've done alchemy. I don't take unnecessary risks."

"I believe that. But we have different definitions of what's necessary." The man tried to object. "Hughes," Ed cut him off. "I don't want to see Gracia and Elysia cry." Hughes hesitated.

"Right now, these are my enemies, not yours. Not even the military's." That was certainly true. The homunculi either owned the military or were unofficial allies. Except Greed. He had his own agenda. "They'll know if you start looking and they don't like leaving loose ends. Unless you can think of a way that even the Fuhrer couldn't catch wind of your investigation, I won't tell you a thing."

His friend didn't understand, Ed could see that much, but the blond was stubborn. If this was a second chance, the alchemist refused to take it for granted.

"Can you at least tell me why you're the target of these 'enemies'?" Hughes's asked.

"I refused to create the philosopher's stone last night." Wide eyes looked at him and the Fullmetal Alchemist went ahead with his cover story. Details would be worked out later, but Ed doubted the Fuhrer would be upset at the missing information. No one else would know to look for them.

"This will be going into the official report, so take it as you will. You can read the details later. I won't answer your questions unless it's a direct order." His glare promised that official questions would be as suspect as his report.

"Al and I snuck out to the lab – yes I know it was stupid now. Felt right at the time. Patience isn't my strong point." He waved at the forgotten lunch. "Can you pass me that?"

"I know how you eat Ed. Talking at the same time isn't one of your brighter ideas."

The alchemist smirked. "You'd be surprised at what I can do if I'm not trying to annoy people." Europe had strict ideas of proper public conduct and consequences to match. There was no silver watch to make others take him seriously in the other world. Many of his habits had to be subdued or broken to make anyone in the scientific community listen to him. Especially after the disaster in England.

"I snuck in through the air vent while Al stayed outside. His armor wouldn't fit," Ed explained between bites of cold stew. "There were guards inside with orders to kill any intruders. The two I fought were death row prisoners. When I defeated one, the other led me to the research area." He paused to double check how he wanted to present the next event. Hughes stayed silent as he ate.

"I didn't know what I'd find, but Sou Tucker as a human chimera was not it." He took another bite to let that fact set in. "My brother was captured; his armor was nearly destroyed." He looked directly at Hughes. "I would do almost anything to save Al."

Setting down his spoon he took a long drink of water from his bedside stand. He refused to touch the milk. "As we learned in Dr. Marco's notes, the red water and stones were made by human sacrifice. All the tanks in the room I was found in were filled with the stuff. It still wouldn't have been enough."

"The room above was one large tank when Tucker showed me. I modified the array to condense the materials in the room above as well. The sacrifices had already been made and I would take the blame as long as Al was safe." The accepting nod was just as comforting as the first time he confessed to the intelligence officer. He looked over at his brother's bed, wondering what Al would think when he woke.

"Before I could activate the array, the ceiling collapsed in an explosion. There must have been a dozen or more men in shackles and prison garb." He shook off the memory of how close he had come to being a murderer.

"When I demanded an explanation, Tucker stated that stored ingredients alone couldn't make the stone. It was then I refused to continue." He cocked his head at his friend and grinned. "Unfortunately, I stepped in a puddle of red water that spilled in the explosion. Everything's kind of fuzzy until I was out with you guys in the courtyard."

Hughes took several minutes to digest his edited story. The stew, a small loaf of bread and half the pitcher of water filled the blonde's stomach before he was done.

"Ed. There are no tanks."

"What?" It was less shock and more confusion questioning Hughes' comment. What did he mean? What tanks? Why was that his only reaction?

"The tanks you mentioned filled with red water. Even if the water was gone, there would still be tanks left. The place is completely destroyed and we weren't allowed to do more than a basic clean up. There would have been some kind of glass laying around, but all that is left is stone, metal and dead chimera."

Ed scrunched his brow while Hughes leaned back to wait. Various questions and theories raced through his mind: Was his memory really messed up after all? Was everything he remembered a dream or reality? Was this a different reality than the last two? How many realities would that make? If there was a different reality for each decision made by each person the number would be infinite. Could he really get home? Wasn't this home?

Looking over to Al in the next bed, he remembered his little brother's smile when they finally met face to face for the first time since he went through the gate. The memories were missing, but everything about him was real. Even if this was a different reality, as long as Al was there he would call it home.

"Have you realized you're taller than yesterday?" The question caught him completely off guard. Blinking in surprise he watched the wide grin spread across Hughes's face. "There's at least a couple of inches and I'd swear you look older. With the wardrobe switch we thought that Al was the Fullmetal Alchemist for a few minutes. Even without the armor he can still draw more attention."

The blonde glanced at Al for a moment. With his eyes closed and in a hospital gown it could have been Ed lying there if the darker hair and flesh limbs were ignored. "Is that going to be a problem?"

"Not many have seen you in Central for a while so it'll be written off as a growth spurt. Mustang will wonder if you go back in the next month. Ross and Brosh have already guessed it was due to the alchemy or something similar." The humor in the man's voice was almost tangible.

"Ah." He glanced at his hands. He knew he had grown, but forgot it would be startling to others. As his friend went back to babbling about Elysia, the latest gossip, and more Elysia, the blonde wondered just how much this meeting was going to cost him. Once Hughes had a plan of action, his friend was going to rack him across the coals for keeping the information from him. And while he didn't care about the height issue so much, he really didn't want anyone to learn he cried like a baby all over the Lt. Colonel.

Author's Note: Once again very small changes to keep the original posting up to date with new plot line.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

Wide awake and staring at the white washed ceiling in the middle of the night, Ed regretting sleeping so much that day. He debated bothering the guard outside for entertainment. The man wasn't someone he recognized.

Ideas of where to go from here continued to swirl in his mind. All day he wondered what to do. Most of his ideas depended on what Al wanted too. He didn't worry a lot. Without Hughes knowing about homonculi, the Elric brothers had time to think. Winry wouldn't be coming to Central either. His automail wasn't broken this time, and that was one phone call he was grateful not to make a second time.

Teacher ran into them at Rush Valley. Ed knew Teacher was looking for them, but didn't know what time they'd run into each other this time, or if she was even looking this time. He wanted to go to Dublith for real, but couldn't tell when and why Teacher started on her Elric hunt. It had never seemed important at the time.

A long low groan interrupted his musings. Sitting up, he glanced at the neighboring bed where Al fidgeted under the sheets. "Al?" he asked, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. Another groan, slightly louder answered him. Walking over, Ed touched his brother's forehead. "Al?"

Hazel eyes greeted him as they blinked away the last vestiges of sleep. "Brother?" The cracked horse voice was the most beautiful thing he had ever heard.

"Al!" Leaning down he hugged his brother, drinking in the warmth of living flesh and hearing the pulse of a beating heart against his ear. When they had first met after two years of separation, the alchemist had to restrain himself because of the situation. Pulling back, he met his brother's confused stare. "Are you alright?"

Ed helped Al sit up as the younger Elric nodded and looked around the room. The blonde watched confusion build in the child-like face. "Where are we brother? What happened? Did it work?" Their eyes met and gold watched hazel widen in surprise. "And why do you look so old?"

The alchemist frowned. Al's eyes were clear and his skin felt fine. No signs of fever or chills. A cold lump formed in his belly. Al had explained how he hadn't remembered their four year journey, but they had met again.

"What's the last thing you remember Al?" The question was physically painful to get out. Did Al remember their quest for the stone only to forget his two year search for Ed? Was the extra years of memory Ed had of Germany true? How much did they loose to get them back here?

"We ate with Granny Pinako and Winry so they wouldn't show up to surprise us. All the ingredients were ready and we double checked our calculation before adding our blood for Mom's soul. Then we activated the array…" The blood leached out of Ed's face as his brother spoke. This wasn't true. It wasn't right. "What's wrong? Are you okay brother? Here, you need to sit down."

The young Elric shifted to push his brother down on the edge of the bed, but over balanced. Instinctively, Ed caught him before he tumbled onto the floor. The analytical part of his mind speculated that Al was expecting a ten year old body. His current one was at least twelve.

A gasp broke through Ed's shock. "Brother! What happened? Why do you have automail!" The blonde had no time to form an answer. The door opened and Lieutenant Fayone poked his head in.

"Major Elric? Is everything alright sir?"

"Major? Ed, what's going on?" Al sounded panicked and the blonde had no idea what to do.

"Major Elric?" The Lieutenant questioned.

Clearing his throat when his first attempt at speech failed, Ed finally made out, "Would you send for the doctor? My brother's awake and has some memory trouble as well."

"Memory?" Al repeated as the Lieutenant saluted and backed out, flipping the light switch on his way out. Ed could hear the man issuing commands through the cracked open door. "Brother?"

Meeting Al's lost eyes put a crack in the blonde's heart. How was he supposed to explain all the trials they had gone through since their sin? What about the two years he had no knowledge of while both brothers tried to find each other once more? Could he find a way to let this innocent Al know of the danger they currently faced? Would he remember on his own?

Those young hazel eyes dropped as the silence continued and Ed knew he couldn't do it. Al had a chance to start over as well. Unless he remembered on his own, Ed would never burden his brother with such weight. Even if the decision felt like he was ripping out his own heart.

"Al?" Ed gave his brother a weak grin. "Look, I know you're confused, but I need to you trust me, okay?" The immediate nod added another crack to the alchemist's heart. "That happened a while ago. It didn't work and that's why I have automail now." He hugged his brother close when it looked like the boy was going to cry. "There was a reason human transmutation is forbidden," he whispered in Al's ear.

Soothing his crying brother, he explained the situation to the newly arrived doctor. Al's last memory was an alchemy experiment we did four years ago. Ed lost his limbs when it went wrong and the younger brother just found out again.

Another whisper to a calmer Alphonse before the doctor examined him insured the exact nature of the experiment remained a secret. The blonde stayed in sight of his brother at all times, and was glad to hear that nothing physically marred the younger Elric's health.

With no indication of a blow to the head, Dr. Masao could only assume that the boy also lost memories due to the alchemic feedback Ed had described to him.

A watch and see policy was recommended. The doctor was hopeful for a complete recovery as Major Elric has slowly regained his own in the last 24-hours. The warning that Al may never recover was glossed over, but Ed's gut feeling told him otherwise.

When all the standard procedures were met, Lieutenant Fayone was instructed to notify his replacement of the situation and insure a full account would be given to Lt. Colonel Hughes when the officer arrived at headquarters the next day.

The two brothers were left alone in the hospital room and neither spoke for an uncomfortable amount of time. "Brother?" Al had always been the first to break. "Will you tell me what happened?"

A careful tale of Al's soul being bound to a suit of armor, Ed's automail and the decision to join the military started the night's conversation. The burning of their house, the Alchemist State Exam, Tucker's daughter Nina which led to a summary of the most recent adventure kept them up for hours. Both Elrics took comfort in sitting next to each other on Al's bed. The stories were intentionally light as Ed could make despite the troubled context.

Anything he could skip over, he did. Tucker was necessary, who knew what that man would do with a naïve and ignorant Alphonse. The slight guilt of relating the cover story to Al instead of the truth didn't hurt as much as he thought it would. The young Elric drifted off in the middle of Ed's bastard Colonel story. The alchemist stayed awake long after he stopped talking. Without Al what was he going to do?

The hand that reached out for him was caught before it touched his shoulder. While shaking off the cloudiness of sleep, recognition set in and he apologized to a smirking Lieutenant Ross the next moment. "How are you feeling today sir?"

Two seconds to think about it produced an easy, "I'm fine." Ten seconds later and the memory of Al's condition made his first answer a bald face lie. Extracting himself as his brother's pillow gave him time to steady himself to face the day.

Sergeant Brosh was forced to run downtown and purchase something for Ed. Nothing the alchemist owned would fit now and the clothes he arrived in were burned due to possible substance contamination. He refused to wear a uniform. Hopefully Al could use his old clothes.

The Fullmetal Alchemist filled out his report on the 5th laboratory while he waited. It helped him refresh his memory of two years ago. Leaving out the tanks filled with red water was tricky, but Hughes hadn't dropped that information for nothing. He wished he could write down his thoughts on what happened after, but Al could decipher his private code.

He needed to talk to Al again too. There were a few options he could see, but he didn't want to decide their future without some input. It felt like a betrayal to their long held trust in each other to do otherwise.

There was no point in debating the reality versus dream theory anymore. He had done that when he first arrived in England and lost a few precious months to denial. This felt like reality so Edward Elric would treat it as such. If it all turned out to be a dream he'd have a good story to tell when he woke up.

"Brother?" A groggy voice called out.

"Good morning sleepy head," he replied cheerfully. Ed did not like mornings, but it had been ages since he could tease his brother for sleeping in. The younger brother always woke before Ed, even before he was an armored suit that didn't need sleep.

"Morning," Al yawned. Ed concentrated on the end of his report as muffled footsteps approached him. "What are you doing?"

"The military runs on paperwork. I swear I have to fill out five forms just to get a paperclip." He laughed at Al's disbelieving gaze. "This is the report from the 5th laboratory." The young boy turned sad at the reminder. As Ed watched the open expressions, he admired the way Al seemed to handle himself with such a change in life. If it had been him, his younger self would be yelling up a storm and firmly sticking with denial… but even when placed in a seven foot tall suit of armor, his younger brother had never complained.

"There's a suitcase of clothes that should fit at the end of your bed. Bathroom's through there if you want to get ready," the alchemist gestured at the far door. He watched from the corner of his eye as the younger Elric awkwardly found some clothes and went in the bathroom. Al was still adjusting to the new proportions of his older self.

The report was finished by the time Al returned. Ed let him read it as Brosh returned with his new clothing. Grateful to get out of the hospital garb, he changed immediately. To his disgust the black pants hung over his new boots and dragged on the ground. Clapping his hands together, he felt a tingle spread up his arms and settle in his chest. The sensation reminded him of the pins and needles when his foot fell asleep. Studying his hands he shrugged as the feeling faded. That was weird.

He clapped his hands again and frowned when the feeling repeated but ignored it. It was annoying, nothing more. As soon as he placed his hands on his new pants with the intention of transmutation, he regretted the decision. Lighting raced down his arms and the transmutation failed halfway as his concentration broke. Gasping in unexpected pain, clutching his chest. His lungs and arm muscles were on fire. He would have collapsed if the burning pain hadn't faded to a dull ache relatively quickly.

"What the blazes was that?" he cursed under his breath. He surveyed the ruined pants in dismay. If he had to guess, he'd think they were made of wax instead of cotton. Wax pants that someone had melted with a judicious amount of fire.

Sighing he clapped his hands again. The tingling sensation returned a tad more painful due to aching muscles. Vowing to figure it out later, Ed transmuted the pants and waited for his shaking limps to recover. That his automail arm was affected as well worried him.

It took several tries to braid his hair without getting it snagged in his metal finger joints. In Germany he would have settled for a ponytail, but his braid was a trademark in Amestris. He remembered he started doing it to prove he could, metal fingers or no metal fingers. Stubborn pride motivated most of his decisions back then. Now he was still stubborn, but tried to watch out for the pride issue. It cost him too much already.

When he stepped out of the bathroom he was immediately tackled by a dark blonde and black blur. Crashing to the floor he grunted in a mixture of pain and exasperation. "What's wrong?"

Al looked up from his lap with tears in his eyes. "I'm so sorry brother! You had to go through all that and it was my fault! I'm so sorry." The younger Elric buried his head in Ed's chest as he continued to mumble apologies. Looking up in confusion for help he saw Lieutenant Ross and Sergeant Brosh reading his newly written report.

"Oh Al. I'm the one that should apologize." Trying to get his little brother's attention was a lesson in patience, but the blonde persevered. Knowing Al had forgotten their time in the military and acting on that information was going to be harder than he thought. That report was far more detailed than what he had told Al last night.

"Look at me Al." When Al calmed down a bit, the alchemist chose his words carefully. "That was not your fault." He cut off the boy's protest.

"No. Listen to me. It was not your fault. Everyone will agree with me." Al bit his lip as Ed continued. "You don't remember, but I was the one who couldn't wait and planned the whole break in plan. Lieutenant Ross will be the first to tell you that I needed to wait for authorization before actually investigating the laboratory." Ross seemed to have finished the report and was paying close attention to their conversation. The stiff nod helped Al, but the hard glint in her eyes just added to Ed's worries.

"I wanted to go. Like a good brother, you tagged along to keep me out of trouble." The silent whimper was discouraging. "Remember what you read. Did I have any problems when you were with me in the beginning?"

The negative head shake screamed doubt. "What isn't in the report is the you kept me from charging in the front door. Even the back doors would have been a bad choice. The air ducts were your idea." Seeing hope grow in his brother's eyes encouraged him.

"You were in your armor. When you see how large it was, you'll know why there was no way you could have followed me. Even then, you wanted us to come back later, but I ignored you."

Ed could see memories of similar events in their childhood flash through Al's mind. "I ordered you to stay and wait for me when I should have sent you back so someone would know where I went. I don't know what happened, but I bet you were caught by one of those guards like I did. Those guys were tough. You beat me whenever we sparred, but even you couldn't have taken more than two of them at a time. Anyone would have been captured. Anyone, understand?"

Al nodded in acceptance, only a trace of guilt left. "As soon as you were captured, there was nothing you could do. Nothing," he reiterated when Al tried to disagree. "You wore armor for four years. It was almost destroyed. Without your armor you had no weapons but alchemy and you weren't even conscious to be able to do that." There was no way he was going to admit any story that differed.

A bit of guilt was left, but Ed knew that was just Al being Al. No helping it but time. As he hugged his brother he met Ross's eyes again and was surprised by the spark of pride he saw in them. What happened to the righteous fury?

"Good Morning?" Al jumped off his place in Ed's lap only to stumble back. The young Elric's reintroduction to Maes Hughes was made sprawled on his backside, head stretched back and wondering if he was ever going to get used to this life he found himself in. Watching his brother's thoughts so clearly displayed on his face, Edward couldn't help the rich laughter that escaped him.

"So glad to see you so chipper this morning Ed," Hughes exclaimed, setting one of the several bags he carried down. "I received your message first thing and couldn't help myself!" The large grin and twinkling eyes brought a familiar feeling of dread to the Fullmetal Alchemist.

Divest of his burdens the Lt. Colonel turned to the now standing Alphonse and threw a friendly arm over the boy's shoulder. Ed's old tank top was tight on his brother's broad frame, but the pants fit well. He suppressed the frustration that a 12 year old could fit in his 16 year old clothes without a problem. No wonder no one looked twice at his 18 year old size.

"Let me be the first to welcome you to Central City Alphonse Elric. I am Lt. Colonel Maes Hughes, but you can call me Hughes. Whether you remember soon or not, second chances are so rare, I knew, as your good friend, it was my duty to share the wonders of our beautiful city. The heart-stopping moment when you first set your eyes on such splendorous sight can never be repeated. And here you are, you lucky dog." Photos magically appeared in the grown man's free hand.

"The most important! Feast your eyes on the lovely Elysia. This beauty is turning four in a few days and you'll be amazed at just what she can do. This is her at the precocious age of three, riding her tricycle for the first time without a starting boost. Incredible, isn't it?"

Gratitude at not being the current victim warred with guilt at watching Al bombarded by the enthusiastic father. Glancing in one of the bags Hughes had hauled in, a set of photo albums greeted him. If he didn't recognize the red covered one to be Gracia's personal collection of the Elric brothers' photos, he would have grabbed Al and ran as fast as he could. Somehow, he knew Hughes was just informing his brother of his missing life in true Maes style.

Shaking his head he noticed his so-called bodyguards had already retreated to the hall. The dark haired man had led Al to the desk conveniently placed on the wall where the photo filled sacks had been placed. The Lt. Colonel had even managed to snag an extra chair without Al noticing. The amnesiac Elric had moved beyond the initial fear and shock. A light of interest shone in his eyes while studying a candid shot of armored Al playing in the snow with a young Elysia.

Grabbing his finished report from the end of his bed, he shoved it in front of Hughes's face. Mid-rant, the man looked up at him from his seat with a raised eyebrow. "Lt. Colonel. Here is my report from night before last. Please insure a copy is sent to Colonel Mustang."

The moment of shock was covered well. "Of course Major Elric. I'll be certain to include a complimentary note on its timely completion," he replied with a note of humor. Ed smirked at the thought of Mustang's reaction. The handful of remarks that immediately came to mind would be good ammo in their continuous battle of wits.

"Thank you." Duties finished, the blonde looked at his brother. "We've known Hughes since we met on the train the first time we came to Central." A light of understanding clicked on. Al should remember the story of the train hostage that let the brothers take the State exam at such a young age.

"I really need to get some errands done. Do you want to stay with Hughes and I can pick up a few shirts, or do you want to tag along?" Interest fought with fear in Al's eyes. "I shouldn't be very long as it's mostly getting new clothes. Hughes knows how to find me if you need me."

While the boy made up his mind, the two military men held a silent conversation.

Hughes's intent stare: What are you up to? Don't you dare ditch your guards again.

Rolled gold eyes: I'm not that stupid.

A raised black eyebrow: Of course.

Trademark scowl followed by a quick glance at Al: Stuff it. You okay with him?

A solemn nod: Count on it.

"I don't want you to go alone brother," Al decided. The regretful resolute face almost sent Ed to chuckling fits.

"Ross and Brosh are going too," he said with a jerked thumb in the hallway's direction. Relief and nervous hope danced across the young Elric's face. Was he always this expressive or had the armor effected his brother's ability to hide his body language?

"If you're sure…"

Nodding he looked at Al. "I'll be back before you know it." Noticing the boy's bare feet he grabbed an extra paper from beneath one of the photo albums that had already made their way to the desk top. "Let me get a trace of your feet and I'll pick up some boots for you as well." Sergeant Brosh had done a good job getting the alchemist's boots this morning with the same method. Ed would let him repeat the small miracle.

The blonde walked out the door with a slow shake of his head as the older man launched into the tale of Elysia's birth, complete with photographic evidence.

"Sir!" Waving his two bodyguards out of attention, he braced himself for the coming lecture. He didn't miss Lieutenant Ross's mothering so much now.

"Al is being entertained by the Lt. Colonel." The fearful shudder from either soldier was politely overlooked. "We've got the go ahead to run some errands. By 'we' I mean I am running errands and you guys get to baby-sit." He wasn't bitter, not at all.

"Sir, I must protest this course of action. Scar is still at large and no conclusions have been made regarding the laboratory incident. Even with two guards, your safety cannot be guaranteed in such a public environment."

Biting back the instinctive insult was habit after living in the volatile country of Germany. Meeting Lieutenant Ross's gaze he formally replied, "Dully noted Lieutenant. I'd like to point out that no location provides guaranteed safety. I accept that public location hold additional elements of danger, but we will be going none-the-less."

Not to mention that Scar was currently hiding with the Ishvalan refugees, recovering from wounds left from battling forbidden homunculi.

The shifting stances of his bodyguards showed Ed's order wasn't holding up. "Lt. Colonel Hughes has already given consent… unless you'd like to appeal to him directly?"

Lieutenant Ross's eyes darted to the closed door where the muffled sounds of Maes joyfully expounding on the virtues of his little angel could be heard. "That will not be necessary sir."

Mentally patting himself on the back, Ed headed down the corridor to check himself out of the hospital. Who knew rational debates on rocket design with scientists stuck in the technologic Stone Age could come in handy? He hadn't even been slapped by Ross for his foolish actions this time around.


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

"Don't you 'But Winry' me! Do you know how hard I worked on those limbs of yours? You haven't had them a month, not a month, and I call to find out how my babies are treating you only to learn you're in the hospital – for two days already, mind you – and not a call, a telegram, not even a letter to let me know! I can't trust you to take care of yourself, and you expect me to believe there's nothing wrong with your automail?"

Ed didn't bother to interrupt again. Each time he did the rant seemed to get longer. When he was told there was a telephone call for him in the lobby, he didn't expect Winry Rockbell chewing him out over anything and everything. He nearly forgot how loud she could be. The Winry he met after a two year absence was far more reserved. Ed could only hope she really would grow out of the yelling phase that dominated most conversations with her since that fateful night of losing his limbs.

"Are you even listening to me?"

"Yes, Winry."

"Good. And don't think this is the end of it. I have a wrench with your number on it Mr-I'm-a-State-Alchemist. Just two days, you better be ready!"

He winced as the phone on the other line was slammed down. The noise wasn't nearly as bad as her yelling, but Winry never treated technology that way unless she was really pissed off.

Now he had two days until she arrived. It seemed a very short time to figure out how to either avoid her or explain automail that she did make, but wouldn't remember making. The first option was his preference, but he would run into her someday and running would just make it worse. Besides, Al wasn't ready to be moved yet. The doctors recommended keeping him for another day or two as he worked with a physical therapist to regain his balance. Al's uncoordinated movement was explained away by a combination of shock and being unused to being out of his armor. They feared the memory loss might also be affecting his body and were reluctant to let the younger brother leave before they saw improvement.

Edward received a clean bill of health before leaving for shopping this morning. Being stopped from walking out the front door was not a fun experience. No wonder Al and he usually left through the window after waking up in the hospital.

Hughes pulled a few strings with the hospital administration to allow Ed to stay in the same room as Al while he recoved. It still hurt to think Al didn't remember a thing of all their travels, but at least the fact he didn't remember kept the brothers together.

Sighing, Edward hung the receiver on the hook and started a slow walk back to the room. Sergeant Brosh fell in line behind him.

'Wait a minute.' Ed did an abrupt about face, missing Brosh with quick side step, and headed back to the phone. Before he could think twice about it, he dialed for a butcher in Dublin, hoping it was still the same number.

"Curtis Meats," a tenor voice answered.

"Hey Mason. This is Edward. Is Teacher there?"

"Ed! What's going on? What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I just wanted to talk to her. It's been a while, you know?"

Mason snorted. "More than a while Ed. If it wasn't for Mrs. Rockbell we wouldn't know anything more than what the paper prints. And she usually doesn't know much more than that. Now what's really happening?"

Sighing, Ed wondered how to answer. The phone lines could be tapped and he didn't really want to tell Mason a lot either. Better stick with the basics. "Al and I got caught in a rebound and had our memories messed up a bit. I'm better off than Al, but I thought Teacher might be able to help. Is she there?"

"How bad, Ed?"

"I'm calling Teacher, aren't I? Is she there Mason?"

Now it was Mason's turn to sigh. "I'm sorry Ed. They went on another outing. I expect them back in a week or so, but I can't help you until then. Where are you guys at?"

"Any idea where they went?"

"You know them Ed. She could be anywhere in Amestris by now. They left three days ago."

Ed blew out a breath as he realized there was no way to know when they'd return. Were they looking for the Elric brothers or was it just a coincidence Teacher found them in Rush Valley?

"Ed? Where are you at? I'll have her call as soon as she gets in."

"No. Don't bother. We won't be here in a few days so it doesn't matter. Don't worry, it isn't that bad. Besides the memory thing we both have a clear bill of health and my memory seems to be fine now. Al's will probably come back in time. I'll try calling in a week, okay?"  
"Ed-" Not wanting another rant, Ed hung the phone up. Mason would be giving them an earful when they go there one way or another.

Giving another sigh, Ed started back to the room. Sergeant Brosh wasn't so keen to follow closely this time.

"What was that about sir?"

"Just seeing if my old teacher could help out any. Don't worry about it. It was a long shot anyway." Brosh nodded and followed silently the rest of the way.

A commotion down the hall sped his footsteps. Their room had several more soldiers than he remembered leaving, a large crate being lifted through the room window, and no Al or Lieutenant Ross.

"What's going on here?" Ed demanded, addressing the room at large rather than a specific soldier.

"Sir!" No salute was given as two soldiers were manhandling the crate inside while a third struggled to balance the load from outside. "Your brother's armor was recovered from the thief this morning. We were ordered to return it to Alphonse Elric asap."  
"And where would my brother be?"

"Due to the size of it's container, the armor would not fit through the room door. The doctor came to check on your brother as we began to maneuver it through the window. I believe your brother thought it best if the doctor asked his questions while he took a walk through the halls." The unspoken request to let them get back to maneuvering was heard loud and clear.

Not willing wait for them to fit the crate through the barely large enough window for a suit of armor that he really couldn't use anymore, Ed stepped forward to expand the window size. A quick slap brought back that tingling sensation making him pause. With a slight shake of his head, Ed dismissed the feeling and placed his hands on the wall next to the window.

Agony burned through his arms as he directed the window to widen. With a clenched mouth he stepped back hastily, sinking onto Al's bed. He vaguely acknowledged the thanks sent his way as he waited for the pain to subside. With the enlarged window, the soldiers were able to move Al's old armor into the room quickly. They pried off the lid per his request. No way was he man handling the crate by himself, and heaven help him if he had to ask for Armstrong's help.

"What did you mean by 'recovered from the thief' earlier?"

"We've been on alert for the armor since the call went through. While the thief is still at large, we found the armor abandoned in an alley way on the east side of the city. Intelligence checked it out for traps before sending it over with us. They didn't want a repeat of someone trying to impersonate your brother."

"Repeat?"

"You know, like how the thief waltz into headquarters claiming to be Alphonse Elric yesterday."

Ed couldn't get them to leave fast enough after that comment. As soon as they were gone, he claimed to be tired and Brosh offered to wait outside the door for Al and Lieutenant Ross.

He counted to ten when the door closed before whispering, "Al?"

Silence.

Walking right up to crate he whispered a little louder. "Al?"

No response.

"Come on Al, stop joking around." Equal parts of dread and foolishness crept up inside him. Did Ed figure wrong? Wasn't this the Al from this world, and his Al was with Lieutenant Ross? Or was his Al lost in a collapsed building in Germany? He shook his head, not willing to think farther on the last question.

He lifted the armored head off the torso, glancing at the blood seal to make sure it wasn't damaged. He stared right into the hollow eyes. "So help me Al, I'll transmute you pink when fixing you up if you don't talk to me right now?"

"Since when can you pigment steel pink, brother? Or should I call you that?"

Ed blinked at the response. That was Al's voice, but he could only remember that kind of bitterness once. 'After the laboratory. Al thought he was just memories. Of course.'

"Nothing to say, Ed? Found your real brother and now your toy armor isn't worth anything to you?"

"Of course not! You're getting it all wrong Al! You're my brother, and if you want to think differently just wait until Winry gets here."

"Why? They aren't going to play your game now that you found the real Alphonse Elric. At first I thought they were just acting along and I was all made up, but then it all made sense. You lost your brother and you couldn't handle it. I was just there to help out until you found a way to get your brother back."  
Ed wanted to throw to head across the room, but couldn't do that when he was helpless like this. Shoving the head down onto his torso, Ed clapped his hands again. He bit his cheek against the pain, and transmuted the crate into planks of wood while attaching Al's limbs again. Breathing deeply to center himself, he stared into Al's hollow eyes.

"You were never just a help. You were never made up. I don't care what you believe about me, but you are Alphonse Elric. The best damn brother in the universe and I don't care whether your in armor or a body."

"How do you expect me to believe that when there's a living breathing Alphonse Elric! I couldn't see you, everyone kept talking about you and your brother everywhere. Whatever you did it worked. You got your brother back just like you promised. Why do you have to keep up this game? It's what you've always wanted to tell me, I'm not human!"

A loud clang echoed as Ed rammed his automail fist into Al's chest. Caught off guard the younger Elric crashed into the ground. The door slammed open and Sergeant Brosh stood with his gun cocked at the two. Seeing no one in the room, he relaxed his stance slightly. "Is everything alright sir?"

Ed ignored them, completely focused on his younger brother. "You're Alphonse Elric. The only thing I've never wanted to mention is whether you hated me for sticking you in that armor."

"But-"

"No," Ed cut Al off. "I don't care what you've heard. I don't care what you've seen. You're Alphonse Elric. Don't ever doubt that. It's kind of messed up right now, and that's my fault. I'll get it fixed, but I don't want you to ever think you aren't my brother." He winced when saying that. Technically this wasn't his brother, but even in Germany he always thought of Alfons as his brother, just a different one than Alphonse. Now there were two Alphonse and he'd have to figure out how to fix it.

Was there another Ed out there too? No, he shook his head. If there was he'd probably end up in Ed's body like he did in England. That body perished and sent him back to the gate, but the next time he went through, it was with his own body. Here he stood, in his own body. Edward Elric of this world must be dead.

"I'm sorry Al. More than you know," he stated quietly. Sergeant Brosh looked on with his gun lowered, more confused than ever. Al creaked as he stood up.

"I'm sorry too brother. It's just, Barry was... well, the army thought I was a thief! And when they found me when I wasn't moving they hauled me in here and I heard my voice! It was mine, Ed!"

"Yeah, about that..."

"Brother?" Alphonse Elric stood in the doorway staring at all three of them while holding on to Lieutenant Ross's arm.

"Al!" Ed started to move towards him, thinking to put him on the bed before he remembered armor Al standing behind him. He turned back trying to figure out what to do.

"Major Elric, sir! Could you explain what is going on?"

'Sure Lieutenant Ross, why not? I'm from another world beyond the gate of truth, my brother is holding on to you brought back from the dead with six years of missing memories, next to me is the real Alphonse Elric from this world and the Edward Elric you know is mostly likely dead by homunculi in the basement of Laboratory 5 and the Furher is one of them. Any questions?' Ed thought still pondering how to answer.


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE

Al and Al were yelling at each other. Lieutenant Ross wanted to order them to calm down but settled on refereeing. Sheska stopped by only to start stuttering apologies while Sergeant Brosh tried to explain and Ed just knew that Maes Hughes would be arriving any moment now.

"Quiet!" His barked command managed to quiet the room, but Ed saw the rising tirade from both his brothers. "Al – and I mean both of you – shut up. I'll explain in a moment, but can you both just trust me for half a minute?" Both looked a bit doubtful but they remained silent.

"Lieutenant Ross, Sergeant Brosh I'll talk to you after I'm done with Alphonse. Can you both wait out in the hall?" They gave a sharp salute and went out the door.

"Sheska, I'm glad you came, I'm sorry it's a mess right now, but it's not your fault. If you could please wait out in the hall a Lieutenant Colonel Hughes will be by in a moment and he could really use your help with some lost documents from the library. I'll make sure we come visit you after Al is released."

"Okay. Are you sure everything is alright?"

Ed gave a small smile. Count on Sheska to worry about books and other people. "We'll be fine. Just try not to let the Lt. Colonel work you too hard."

She nodded and stepped out the door, firmly closing the door Ross and Brosh had left cracked. Sheska might try to eavesdrop with them, but she would at least make sure to keep up appearances.

"Brother-" Two voices came at him at once before they descended into bickering again.

"He's not your brother, he's mine!"

"Stop copying what I say!"  
"Brother told me I'm Alphonse Elric, so whoever you are, you're not me!"

"I'm Alphonse Elric. You're just a dirty pile of scrap metal."

"Look who's talking little one. I'm fourteen years old, you can't be more than twelve."  
"That might work on Brother, but I'm not falling for-"

"Enough!" Al opened his mouth to argue some more before catching sight of Edward's face. He closed his mouth and looked at the floor. Alphonse just clenched his armored hands and turned away from the human Al.

"Thank you. Al, both of you, for now I'm calling human Al, Al and armored Al, Alphonse. This does not mean anything except to help cut down on confusion. Both of you are Alphonse Elric, my little brother. If you'll calm down for a moment I can tell you why."

Both looked at him eagerly and Ed wondered how he was supposed to explain without actually explaining. It was clear one Al was his Al, but Alphonse must be the dead Ed's Al instead.

Then he remembered his Al's explanation when he met for the first time in two years. Sitting by the riverbank with an armored suit in the middle of Germany.

"Al, Alphonse, when I transmuted your soul into the armor, I must have done something that made it more... elastic than a typical human soul. You body remained at the gate with a portion of your soul to keep it alive. I brought the other part of the soul out of the gate and transmuted it into the armor. Now we have your body back, but Al only remembers until that night. Alphonse, you remember our journey of the last four years, right?"

"Yes Brother. But then why do I have the memories from before I was in the armor?"

"Of course you would have memories. You're both the same soul. Until I split you up there wasn't anything different about you two. Now you're split but still Alphonse Elric, understand?"

Alphonse nodded, but Al only continued to look at Alphonse with a blank expression.

"Al?"

His little brother glanced at him but brought his gaze back the armored figure in front of him.

"Al, do you remember when we used to fight over Winry?" Al nodded. "And you beat me like usual?" He nodded again. "What happened after that?"

"I proposed to Winry and she said no right away," Al replied quietly.

"And why was that Alphonse?"

"Because she didn't want to marry anyone shorter than her," Alphonse answered.

There was a moment of silence before Al cocked his head. "You're really me, aren't you. Ed wasn't there when I asked her."

Alphonse hummed his acknowledgment, crouching down to get a better look at his body.

"Really?" a loud voice exclaimed from the hallway. Edward's hung his face in his true hand, half exasperated half relieved. At least the Al crisis was mostly solved before Maes Hughes arrived.

"-and don't forget to have her write up the Denry and Milton cases!" The Lt. Colonel strode into the hospital room without even a knock, shutting the door on Ross and Brosh who were scrambling to get out of their eavesdropping positions.

"Ed, Al and Alphonse! Good to see you all. You gave us quiet a run for are money Alphonse. What gave you the idea to pretend to be inanimate in order to get back to your brother?" Alphonse didn't have a chance to answer before Ed was in a headlock with Maes messing up his hair. "And you! Why didn't you tell us Alphonse could be out there? We were all up in arms trying to find the thief for the last two days! Do you know how much manpower we've wasted?"

Jabbing an elbow into the Lt. Colonel's side loosed Hughes' grip enough for Ed to slip out while protesting. "I didn't know! Until Alphonse showed up I hadn't really thought about it. Sorry Alphonse."

"Don't worry about it Brother. You didn't use a philosopher stone, did you?"

"No," Ed replied adamantly, shuddering at the thought. "No, Al I didn't. How much did you hear in the hallway Hughes?"

"I arrived just in time to see your guards coming back into the hallway. Why don't we let Al and Alphonse have time to compare notes? You and I need to have a little chat."

Swallowing past the lump in his throat, Ed let Hughes railroad him out of the room. Al would be okay. Alphonse wouldn't let anything happen to his body. He felt a little guilty about tricking Alphonse into believing he was a split soul. How would he react when he told him the truth?


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX

Hughes brought him to a small hospital meeting room he had commandeered. Major Armstrong was already inside and thanks to Hughes' quick thinking they were saved from a bare chested greeting. Ed didn't know whether to be grateful as Hughes immediately when for the kill.

"I've been more than patient but I really think you need to tell me what happened two nights ago Ed. You're report is full of holes and contradictions."

"The report is fine and you know it," Ed snapped back.

Lt. Colonel Hughes set a copy of his report down on the table. "Glaring contradiction number one: 'Al's armor was damaged to the point of being unable to move.' I didn't see any problems with the armor when Alphonse was in your room and the reports from forensics before he was delivered to you stated he had only minor scratches."

Ed paused wondering what Hughes was talking about. Picking the report up he scanned until he found the sentence Hughes quoted. But Al had never been in the room at the fifth laboratory. It was just Tucker, Envy and himself. Rereading the section brought another scene with Lust and Gluttony and a glowing red tanks of philosopher stone water. He sat down in a chair rubbing his eyes.

Hughes continued. "Contradiction number two: You claimed there were chimera in the building but beyond one area where human remains of the prisoners were located, no organic material has been found in the wreckage."

Ed wasn't listening, focusing on his own thoughts. He could remember being asked to make a philosopher's stone using the prisoners as the last ingredients needed. His arm was unmoving, Al was in pieces and Lust was using her nails to threaten Al's blood seal.

Yet before he read the report he clearly remembered a stone room with Envy and a human Tucker. Where had that come from? Tucker was a strange human chimera by the time he was involved with the homunculus.

"Contradiction number three: You claimed that Scar was in the building but his distinctive deconstruction style is not in evidence anywhere on the premise. Intelligence department can only assume that your memories was corrupt and the report is invalid. Scar is still listed as killed in East City by Colonel Mustang pending confirmation."

Ed paid no attention. Focusing on the first scene that had come to mind when recalling the Fifth Laboratory. He had come out of the vent, fought the dual souled armor. The head lead him into the room where the human transmutation circle was carved into the floor. Tucker was there ready to create his own philosopher stone. When he tried to stop him Envy had appeared. The armored head tried to tell him something when Envy killed him.

Ed tried to stop Tucker and ended up fighting Envy instead. His arm had stopped working and Envy kept him pinned while Tucker ensured the prisoners were secured on the seven points of the circle.

That was when he came up with the bright idea of becoming limp in Envy's arms, slapping his good hand to his metal one and falling in position to transmute the floor. The backlash from interrupting Tucker was more painful than anything he'd ever experienced – including automail surgery.

"Ed, are you even listening?"

Ed waved him off, picking up the report again and reread his original words. This too was familiar. It brought to mind another time. He had come out of the vent, fought the dual souled armor, was led into the room where a transmutation circle was carved into the floor. Red glowing tanks surrounded the room.

A chimera Tucker had spoken to him about Nina and he actually considered using the already created philosopher water to help the girl he had never forgiven himself over. Then the ceiling exploded and he realized living people would have been sacrificed as well. Envy, Lust, and Gluttony arrived with Al in tow and he was nearly forced to create the stone to keep his brother's blood seal intact. Then Scar showed up and Ed reacted badly to puddle of spilled red water.

"Major Elric?" Armstrong questioned.

Edd continued to think. The report read the his brother was threatened and he was asked to transmute prisoners into human chimera. He remembered making that distinction to eliminate the need to officially report the philosopher's stone information.

The report read four people were involved in the threatening supporting his second recall. It also stated had no mention of Tucker being a human chimera, a point for the first memory. Scar was the cause of the building collapse according to the report, but Hughes had already explained there was no evidence supporting that statement.

His musing was interrupted as the door opened admitting the Fuhrer. "Hello," the man cheerfully greeted them. Armstrong and Hughes snapped to attention while Ed tried to resist the urge to attack the man.

Bradley waved the two men out of their salute before explaining his visit. "I just had to take a break from all that paperwork, my new aid is brutal about finishing it."

Shouts from the hallway started to make their way into the meeting room. The Fuhrer's self-appointed break seemed to be creating quite a stir.

The Fuhrer caught sight of Ed's report. "I see you are still investigating the fifth laboratory. Wasn't that cleared off the Intelligence docket this morning Lt. Colonel Hughes?"

"Yes, sir."

"Relax a little Lt. Colonel. I'm just curious why you would still see a need for further investigation."

"There are several facts that have not been determined to my satisfaction, sir."

"Ah. You mean the whole philosopher's stone omission."

All three stiffened at the blatant knowledge displayed by the Fuhrer. No one had mentioned the philosopher's stone in the entire investigation. How would the Fuhrer know it was missing? Only Ed had a glimmer of the truth.

"Please take my advice. Do not investigate this further. The philosopher's stone is a very dangerous subject. I would not want to loose any of my fine officers for a whimsey. In fact, consider it an order."

"Sir!" Armstrong and Hughes saluted again and a crash was heard from the hall.

"I'll take that as my cue to get moving. Don't want my aid to find me too soon." The Fuhrer walked over to the window, opened it and jumped out of the first floor to the grassy walkway. "Remember gentleman, do not look further into this."


End file.
